Calgary International Airport (YYC) Taxis

Calgary Airport is located a short distance from downtown Calgary, and is the main airport for this city. It is also rated as the fourth largest airport in Canada, and is known for its excellent services. Approximately 12 million passengers pass through Calgary Airport every year, and the airport is considered as a hub for the airline companies of Air Canada, Air Canada Express and WestJet. Various forms of ground transport are available for arriving and departing passengers, including the Calgary Airport taxis, sedans and limousine services. By airport taxi is a very popular way to travel into the city, and is often considered as the quickest form of transport as well.

Calgary International Airport, with the official code of YYC, has various points of arrival for their airline companies. Although there is only one terminal building, there are four concourses, each with facilities for arriving passengers. The concourse of arrival could depend on the origin of the flight, i.e. many flights from other Canadian airports arrive at Concourse A, or on the airline company operating the flight, for example, many of Air Canada’s operations are handled from Concourse B. The airport building is fairly easy to navigate, and in certain areas, a unique form of transport is offered by Club Cars driven by White Hat volunteers. It is quite common for passengers to be transported by Club Cars from the aircraft to the Canada Customs area. The official Calgary Airport taxis are available for passengers just outside of the arrival areas, and provide transport twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Calgary Airport taxis do not require an advanced reservation, as they are always available from the arrival level of the airport, however, customers are welcome to make a reservation before their arrival at the airport. The official taxi company of the airport is Associated Cab, and their contact number is 403-299-1111. This number can be used to book a taxi, and it is best used during normal working hours. Online reservations with the company are possible as well, but customers will first need to receive a ‘login name and password’. An online registration form with therefore need to be completed. Customers who make online reservations will also be able to cancel their reservation and make adjustments to the services requested. The official website of Associated Cabs is found at http://www.associatedcab.ca.

Since that Calgary Airport is located only 17km, or 11 miles northeast of downtown Calgary, a trip by taxi to this area is not too expensive. On average, a journey from the airport to the city centre will cost between $40,00 and $45.00. The price of your journey will depend on the final destination requested, as the taxi services in Calgary, and Canada in general, are metered. This means that there is a device in the taxi that records the length of the journey in kilometres, and the taxi fare is then calculated accordingly. Taxi fares could also be based on the amount of time for which the vehicle is hired, or on a combination of how long the taxi is used and the number of kilometres travelled. A taxi from Calgary Airport will also incur airport surcharges, of about $6.40. This amount is charged for the first 135 meters of travel, and includes an airport departure fee of $3.00. For the first 135 metres of travel from any other location, $3.40 will be charged. Every additional 135 metres of travel is charged at $0.20, and each hour of waiting time is charged at $30.00.

The driver of the taxi is entitled to inform the customer of the additional costs involved for the taxi journey, for example, the airport departure fees. This charge will also be displayed on the metre. The airport taxi drivers are usually very friendly and helpful, and are willing to explain how their taxi services are charged. Should you rather find out information from someone other than the taxi driver, staff at the Visitor Information Centre in the airport terminal can be contacted. The Information Centre is found on the Arrivals Level, in the Centre area, and staff here provide details regarding Alberta’s attractions, accommodations, restaurants and transportation options. They also have many brochures and maps available. The Tourism Centre can be contacted at 403-735-1234, between 06:00 and 23:00, seven days a week.

Associated Cab also provide special vehicles adapted for the needs of disabled passengers, and are therefore wheelchair accessible. Sometimes it is best to reserve a special car in advance of your arrival. Services for disabled travellers are also available in the city of Calgary. Access Calgary provides door-to-door public transportation and shared-ride options. Further details are available at http://www.accesscalgary.ca.

In addition to the conventional Calgary Airport taxis, passengers can hire a larger vehicle to accommodate a greater number of travellers, a luxury sedan or a limousine. Airport sedans are available on-demand, and are found on the Arrivals level adjacent to the taxi stands. Their fares are based on set rates, and are approximately 25% higher than the average taxi cab. A few companies offering limousine services to and from Calgary Airport include Alberta Limousine and Service (403-295-1085), Allied Limousines and Sedan Service ((403-299-9555, Ambassador Limousine (403-299-4910) and Banff Transportation (403-762-0000).

Calgary Airport taxi services are always provided in clean, comfortable vehicles that are well maintained, and the majority of airport passengers report their taxi journey to be very pleasant and convenient.